AJ,. It's well and truly out in the open how the overseas controlling elite operate. If you ever go to Monte Carlo and other tax havens where the super rich hang out and park their riches, you will have your eyes opened. That is what they are playing for and capable of. And that's before we consider the political power they are drunk on. It's their system now, not yours or mine. We have no idea what their next move will be.
When you place your bets (I mean invest in shares, gold futures, whatever) you are trying to guess against strategic boardroom decisions at Goldman Sachs, et al, which you are not privy to, and HFT algos which you have no way of predicting the strategy or effect of, let alone trying to beat.
I am saying that the "market is definitely rigged against the small investor. Law of averages says, if you trade often enough, you may win now and again, but you will lose as well, and the best you can hope for is a relatively small net win over time, and that is definitely not guaranteed. Consider the hedge funds which were wiped out by The recent Swiss CB move with the Franc. They were blind-sided and it can and will happen to all of us.
The increase in volatility is now at the point where risk/reward is dangerously skewed and untenable.
I have goldies but I don't trade at the moment. I will wait to see if gold is the beneficiary of the coming major system collapse. I can see that the Chinese and Russians think gold will be a winner when this happens.